Cask No. 53.531

The nose suggested beach bonfires – bacon-wrapped scallops, oatcakes and baked apples; smoke, ash and sea breezes. On the palate, definite smoke did not overshadow the fruit and nut chocolate and lemon cheesecake, while also giving us embers, more ash, smoked mackerel and salty driftwood on the finish. On the reduced nose we got more apple, pears in porridge, coffee beans, tarry ropes and sunshine on plastic beach toys. The palate’s smoke was now gentler, the grill was searing red meat and the embers included smouldering gorse sprigs, with cinnamon toast to finish. After eight years in ex-bourbon wood, we then transferred this into a first fill ex-bodega PX hogshead.